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8885 Rio San Diego Drive, # 131 (new address)
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A2i on the Move! As a2i continues to celebrate their new name change from The Access Center of San Diego to a2i, Access to Independence, we are very excited to announce another exciting move ahead. |
a2i's history
In 1976, San Diegans with disabilities, led by Ray Zanella, Betty Bacon, and Ray Uzeta, received $90,000 from the state Department of Rehabilitation and $10,000 from the Easter Seals Society to establish the Community Center for the Disabled (CSCD).
CSCD opened its doors in 1977 with William “Bill” Tainter as its first Executive Director. In 1981, CSCD established the Spoke Shop (now Access to Mobility) to provide wheelchair rentals, sales, and repairs. In 1992, a grant from the San Diego City Council enabled us to buy our own building at University and Richmond Sts. In 1993, CSCD, in keeping with Independent Living philosophy, changed its name to The Access Center of San Diego, Inc. and, in 2006, evolved into Access to Independence. In 2006, The Access Center changed it name to Access to Independence.
Access to Independence is a cross-disability organization run largely by people with disabilities. We cultivate the self-respect and self-esteem of people with disabilities and promote options that empower them to choose and maintain their own lifestyles.
Acting as an agent of social change, Access to Independence strives to integrate people with disabilities into community life.
Personal responsibility -- by, and for, people with disabilities -– paves the path to independence. To help our consumers achieve self-sufficiency, Access to Independence offers comprehensive programs.
Established as the third independent living center in the U.S. in 1976 as the Community Service Center for the Disabled, Access to Independence is a non-residential center with a staff of 43 employees and several volunteers. We serve San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties, and have offices in San Diego, Vista, and El Centro.
Access to Independence programs are funded by grants, and individual and corporate contributions. These include: City of San Diego Community Development Block Grants (CDBG); County of San Diego CDBG; California Department of Rehabilitation, U.S. Department of Education/Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA); Pacific Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center; the United Way of San Diego; The California Endowment; the Parker Foundation.
Contact us at one of our offices.